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Jan. 28, 2005 Why has there never been the equivalent of the Nuremberg Trials or Tokyo Trials held for the prosecution of officials of former Communist regimes? Of course, it is much more of a rhetorical question, rather than one designed to elicit a response. Estimates range from at least 100,000,000 to about or approximately 150 million victims, many times more than, for instance, the average estimate of 6 million lost in the Jewish Holocaust, as to being one disgusting measure of modern barbarism and tyranny. Unlike the latter instance, with its ever- expanding plethora of learned articles, books, documentaries, movies, commemorations, forums, conferences, seminars, academic and think-tank study groups, exhibitions, memorials, museums, and other truly international demonstrations of both legitimate memory and evocative history, virtually nothing exists, in comparison, to cogently remind people about the tragic victims of Communism. There is also, more notably, no national, much less international, call for the clearly justifiable formation of a movement to seek some means of accountability for the heinous crimes that were and are being atrociously committed. This is not a complaint about Holocaust related matters that ever wish to rightly remind the world about Nazi horrors, brutality, injustice, terror, etc.; it is merely an observation of the vivid contrast that, whereas 6 million abominable deaths can eagerly stimulate and actively advance such a manifestly and overwhelmingly prodigious outpouring of such tremendous exploration, investigation, publication, etc., the many horrific deeds of the Communists have provoked, relatively speaking, a kind of soporific comatose reaction. The era that produced the Holocaust, moreover, is fast receding into history, the time of about the mid-20th century and slightly near the end of the previous millennium no less. Furthermore, unlike Communist regimes, the evil Nazi one, in point of fact, no longer exists. It is a disproportionate and weirdly odd situation, as a minimum statement, that one logically encounters such regimes situated still in the real world, not as a merely theoretical proposition as to fundamental justice versus injustice, being so argued. Oh, yes, there have been comparatively insignificant prosecutions of mere handfuls of individuals in a few scattered countries. For instance, Romania's last Communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, may, perhaps, come to mind, though, for most people, recalled through either needed rigorous study or personal memory. Of course, one must admit that ideologically- inspired barbarism, Communism, Fascism, and Nazism, has often been rationalized keenly and, by its jaded devotees, celebrated widely as well. But, in terms of the much greater scale needed as with a type of a Nuremberg-level effort, virtually nothing equivalent has ever or, most likely, will ever exist to, thus, help hold accountable those who were responsible for the deaths of so many millions. As readily compared to Holocaust-associated considerations and efforts, it is, to put it rather terribly mildly, rather too disproportionate to contemplate pleasantly. Historical memories do seem to fade much more quickly on the Left side of the political spectrum, when it comes to recalling that quarter’s vainglorious efforts at utopian artistic schemes rendered, appropriately, with red paint brushes. Future art lovers may have to strain their credulity to fix their mind’s attention upon what exactly the Berlin Wall might have been -- and -- just why would anyone want to leave a worker’s paradise by, perhaps, becoming a strangely creative pole vaulter to get across such an odd obstruction? To remember is not always easy; highly selective forgetfulness, especially on the part of the progressive intelligentsia, is easier. On the other hand, will not the Whig Theory of Progress, with its reified beliefs in freedom and democracy, simply conquer all with a Hegelian inevitability, as kindly blessed by Francis Fukuyama? Isn’t modern tyranny then merely a historicalized “political vestige” of a sort held unworthy of contemporary contemplation? An immature concern for Communist misdeeds is surely to be put under enlightened suspicion of a mere social faux pas as it were. Unless, e.g., one were to have at least some idea about just where Central Europe might be located and that a country called Romania would be somewhere within that region, it would yet, nevertheless, take some extensive historical knowledge to know that, yes, a Leftist dictator by the name of Nicolae Ceausescu had once been there; the heuristic point, of course, need not be further belabored and ought to be fully obvious, except, perhaps, to dim-witted minds or those who, alternately, are just ideologically non-predisposed, allergic (?), to the plain and unadulterated truth enunciated. So, who cares? Nothing else need be really said of those to-be- unnamed moral cretins, spiritual dwarfs, who are perpetually deaf, dumb, and blind, morally comatose, regarding the particular evocative tenor of this presented discussion lecturing against the worship of organized terror, once more just simply known as “Bolshevism.” And so, massively bloody crimes (an understatement) involving the slaughter and butchering of millions and, most likely, more future millions of people simply go unpunished and, often, largely unnoticed, in proportion, in the context of this special consideration being carefully argued. Brutal and evil crimes that “cry out to high Heaven and unto low Hell” are just complacently yawned at by world public opinion – whatever that thing is supposed to be. It is, therefore, semantically rather hard to come up with a truly suitable synonym for the greatly descriptive and analytical word being critically applied: disproportionate. It is like the number of dead in the Gulags, one suspects. There is a disproportionate indifference, marked unconcern, and overall apathy mixed with a, perhaps, quizzical attitude that anyone should even attempt, verily, to raise the question; this is as to the proposed validity involved in the empirical, factual, political, legal, and historical charge that “crimes against humanity” have and, moreover, still do occur. The outstanding regimes of Cuba and Red China do then readily come to mind as being quite natural candidates for suggested much needed or, at least, serious preliminary investigation. For the latter case, the real horrors of the Tibetan Holocaust, among other highly important matters, ought not, unjustly, to be forgotten too easily. Forgetfulness, nonetheless, can be popularly determined and harshly perceived. How can this be, instantly and immediately, verified beyond most rational question? If England’s Prince Harry had worn a Mao jacket or Stalin jacket with the hammer and sickle symbol boldly displayed, some isolated critics would have complained, of course; but, generally, there would have been merely light-hearted chuckles and reasonably mild amusement at most. Joyously costumed, death’s stench could not soil such rare raiment, thence knowing he wished to be the life of the party (or was it a Nazi party?), of course. A Nazi arm band, on a World War II German Afrika Corp uniform, had aroused instantly a monumentally raging torrent, a fire storm of intensely enraged public opinion and passions, of adamantly expressed objections, extreme denunciations, many often urgent demands for required apologies, pronouncements of profound revulsion, and much else. And, this reaction of righteousness had thus occurred, may it be so remembered, several generations after the Nuremberg Trials are now fast fading from the moldy memories of living contemporaries. While the propriety of war crimes trials (or equivalent) may properly be questioned as to the particular mechanism being held requisite to the enormous task, the bizarre absence of anything, even slightly like such a suggestion or other means for obtaining required justice, is a major and indelible public stain, an infamy, upon the conscience of Western civilization and culture. The often-proclaimed Wilsonian, now Bushian, worldwide march of freedom and democracy against tyranny is then made a mere pitiable lie against foundational truth. But, much more than that mere observation needs to be said ever boldly. Existential and phenomenological excuses given for continuous inaction are empirically observed as the canards they are and do not deserve any intellectual respect. Why? Feeble, old Augustin Pinochet, for preventing Chile back in the 1973 from becoming another Cuba, is yet being very actively pursued, as an international effort, for -- ultimately for what? -- the killing of Communists. It is a deceptive case, really, of simple envy; he succeeded where Salvador Allende and his incompetent comrades, the sore losers, had just so miserably failed. Pinochet’s predominant critics are, thus, only hypocrites who would not have denounced a Communist Chile because of typical, Leftist myopic pseudo-indignation. If any who denounce him can equally abhor all of Red Fascism, then a full agreement can be reached as to the propriety his prosecution, though not one second prior to that exceptional time. What then is the real core issue? Generalisimo Chaing Kai Shek had said of the Japanese invaders of China that they were merely like a temporary disease of the skin, but the “agrarian reformers” were an affliction of the heart. This coronary problem persists today in the entire body politic of the West and aided superbly by a barely concealed nihilism, by an awful degeneracy. It is, also, a permanent inexcusable affront to all of moral order, humane conduct, requisite legality, and fundamental human decency itself that makes a debased, vile mockery of any supposed claims to a truly valid civilization or culture; this is, manifestly, when a higher form of barbarism is, in effect, sanctioned and excused, where it ever remains unnoticed by an appeal to justice, meaning, however, forever unpunished. The blood of these many dishonored and forgotten millions is, with time’s inexorable passage, being washed away decisively and with an ever unctuous passivity inexplicable, except for its barbarous convenience as a pragmatic end in and of itself; Machiavelli would be well pleased, contentedly, that his nominalist-oriented teachings were learned so well by practitioners, oh, how can one properly phrase it, of Western statecraft and statesmanship (at its unmentioned nadir). The 21st century will, therefore, remain a damnable Age of Infamy, until some genuinely valid means of moral redress, of retributive justice and just punishment, may be both successfully found and enforced vigorously. One’s breath, however, ought not be held or suspended in any irrational expectation; the sorely infected heart of the regnant West is so critically diseased; and, the condition currently appears to be only terminal. This is still congruent, nevertheless, with the progressive and too ironic stride toward greater democracy and freedom that continues and, moreover, by a recent presidential proclamation no less. In fact, it is (for those who are not blind to the pervasive truth) much less. ------------ About the author: Joseph Andrew Settanni, a sometime free-lance writer, has written for such publications as: New Oxford Review, The Chesterton Review, Faith and Reason, Chronicles of Culture, The University Bookman, Modern Age and is, in his professional capacity, an internationally published author. His urgent wish is to become a paid full-time writer/commentator (as soon as possible). He has done consulting work for a Federal judge regarding the NYPD's "Red Squad" Files, participated in a historical editing project at a major university, and has been listed in many biographical texts. Settanni is a Certified Professional Consultant and Certified Records Manager. N.B.: All my opinions are only to be attributed to me, not to my employer. Email: joes@optimus-corp.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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